Autumn Colors on the Qiao and Hua Mountains and Two Other Paintings - Essay Example

A comparison of autumn colors on the Qiao and Hua mountains and two other paintings Upon the return of Zhao Mengfu to Wu-Hsing in the mid 1290s after spending time in the northern region of china, he brought new calligraphic and new model of art painting. The northern culture brought a revelation to Zhao. Reunification of china and Mongols allowed Mengfu and other scholars from the south to rediscover the Chinese culture and newer ways of expression of culture through arts. Zhao had the opportunity to collect and view the works from the other artists, drove him to create a new way of painting. The newer way of painting by Zhao became a vital part in literati arts. Zhao painted autumn colors of Qiao and Hua mountains in January of 1296, a few months after his return from the north. Chao mi a friend of Zhao helped him in the creation of new pictorial language. The painting gives an ideal scene of farmers and anglers residing in between the two mountains Qiao and Hua Mountains respectively. The posting of Zhao to Chi-Nan to act as a governor drove him into drawing the picture. The mountains situated in the outskirts of Chi-Nan, where it was the ancestral home of Chao Mi. The picture Zhao painted depicts a mixture of primitive painting and sophistication; the topographical points in the picture are not realistic. Although, the picture in the modern world has some defections it remains one of the most inspirational and foundations of the modern art painting in china (Wen and James 268). The painting had an illusion of continuous recession and represents an achievement of describing physical space in a two dimensional surface. The shift in scale, conventional trees and reeds, awkward houses and stick like figures are some of the archaic pictorial representations Zhao outlines. The schematic representation of two mountains with triangular and semi circular forms strikes the eye of a viewer showing an archaic representation. The purpose of Zhao to diversify in his techniques of painting. This was to enable artists to create pictures and paintings that are appealing and represent what is exactly in the region. Ideographic quality of the houses in the picture seen in the way, this shows they are set in a parallel dimension rather than in oblique angles. The painting later became a crucial foundation of the Yuan’s literati painting. Zhao describes the importance of antiquity in the picture, a quality that lacks in many artists of that time. Although, an artist may be well conversant with using brush and color application meticulously and lack antiquity the shortcoming is visible throughout the work. Mengfu introduced autumn colors to Chinese painting this mainly done through a repertoire of texture strokes and foliage dots based on Tung Yuan arts. The hemp fiber strokes of Tung texture strokes appeal because they possessed amorphous, linear, and clear quality. The calligraphic nature of the painting compared to others remained on an advanced level. Zhao and Huang created models used in landscape paintings that would later be the most essential styles in painting. They used modular construction in landscape painting and interacted parts by the infusion of geometric or void and arc objects to give a clear pictorial representation. Zhao took a careful study of Yuan artwork and calligraphy and incorporated Chinese multi-vanishing point perspectives. The incorporation led to the creation of the most influential and appreciated masterpieces. Zhao appreciated the work of his predecessors, and although, his work looked comprehensible the artistic expression had a deeper meaning. Compared to others the Yuan literati group did not carry out their painting in hidden places as those of Sung dynasty. They showed their brushes, for example, Huang Dong painted darker brushstrokes over light ones to give a rich texture. He also used drier brushstrokes over wet ones to perfect on the texture and clarity of the painting. Zhao Mengfu was an innovative landscapist and posed exceptional skills in painting. Huang Gong the eldest of all top four masters of literati paintings had a significant influence in the development of school of Chinese literati paintings. The colors that Zhao and Huang used were mainly light purple and black ink colors. The colors could represent the artistic expression on rocks, walls and other surfaces that the painter wished to evoke his message. Based on Zhao Mengfu, the techniques in brush strokes adding alum to silk and colors remained the principal strongholds. Zhao Mengfu used thick and dry brushstrokes in the creation of tangible forms; the principle behind the explanation is that of the creation of rich textures and stronger value of the tactile surface. As compared to Zhao, Huang had a portrait of Hangzhou province from the river scenery to the mountains, which showed how Huang had the Chinese topography in his hands. The portrait ebbs out in distant ink wall hills over water. From the pictorial point of view, the picture had light ink furnished with darker ink in succession. In a conclusive way of an artist, the shapes were altered texture added and brush dots distributed over the presentation. The explanation behind is that of nature turned into the brush and ink in an artistic point of view. Based on the work of Huang’s friends the work required inscription in the context that someone might use the work with no acknowledgement. The painting by Li Jung-chin in the mid 14th century represents a monumental example in modern art and painting. Compared to Zhao’s autumn colors of Qiao and Hua mountains painting, the Han place has excellent monochrome style. The painting shows a palace that arises along the mountain slope from the water’s edge, courtyards, and halls interspersed with crops and trees. The lower side of the compound accessible through two gates one on the land and the other on water. The upper side of the compound has high terrace, where there is a balcony for basking and outside view and enjoying the serenity in the evenings. Compared to Zhao’s painting which rich color received usage, Li's painting is monochromatic, and with a clear line, representation gives a precise picture rather than an illusion as that of Zhao. The dramatic shift in scale from the nearest and farthest point in Li’s painting is visible. Li projects the painting in a manner that it has a high vantage point. This led to compression of foreground and middle components and tilting in an upward style giving the picture quality pictorial motifs. The brushstroke on Li’s painting defines a schematic interpretation of the ropy texture of the rocks. Li moved from the normal point where artists copied paintings from books in order to perfect their art. Li Jung-chin painting and brushwork have a vigorous and high descriptive nature of three-dimensional form. The shift from the Zhao Mengfu approach in brushwork to newer style brought by Li remains a fundamental component of paintwork in china. Li's painting had a mixture of hemp-fiber texture patterns normally associated with tenth century paint masters. Bold contours and graded washes of gives Li’s painting a different look compared to Zhao’s. The brushwork of Li and Yuan in the formation of trees and rocks is not similar hence; artist ought to consider the distinction. Noble scholar in an autumn grove Sheng Mou combined Tung-Chu and Li- Kuo idioms of art painting; he was a professional painter from early 1300s to late 1300s. He created eclectic mix of the previous painting styles, mixing mineral colors and painting them on silk. Sheng friend Chen helped Sheng achieve the modern style in painting; he began practicing with Zhao’s autumn colors of Qiao and Hua mountains. Zhao’s model helped him enliven his paintings with an appealing visual and narrative effects expressed clearly in his paintwork. One of Mou’s works shows a merger of Tung’s brush conventions. This is with rich blue-green and ocher palette and writhing forms of mountains as in Kuo’s work. The paint from Mou was fine, well ruled line that rendered architectural elements in a richly detailed described picture. Mou brings the literati way of painting by including dates in his work. Noble scholar in autumn grove presents a scheme of tall trees on the foreground, a middle ground with water, and a background of mountains that rise from the riverbank rising to the picture frame and towards the clouds. On the foreground, is a man who has put down his walking staff and looks in the sky in a contemplator’s manner. Mou’s new style of painting shows on the front a disposition of elements soaring mountains and trees that are vertically aligned. He uses hemp-fiber texture strokes and foliage dots to model the landscape in a similar manner to Yuan. The hemp-fiber texture strokes may convey a restless agitation, scratchy texture strokes, and staccato clusters of black foliage dots bring a nervous dimension to the picture. His repetitive patterns of brushwork lack a descriptive purpose or the expression of individuality (William and Chumei 272). The Mongolian people, on the other hand, were unable to assimilate the Chinese people; hence, the Chinese culture survived the foreign rule. The transformation of the Mongols khans into Chinese styles remained one of their patronage arts. Government painting and woodwork activities were among the objectives of the Mongolian government. Chinese appointment to carry out the woodcarvings and imperial archives activities was one of the objectives of the Mongolian administration. Some of other artists painted hunting pictures of Khubilai khan depict the imperial and his entourage in pursuit of the region for hunting game with camels as the only sense of desolation. The heritage of Chinese people mainly viewed in a pictorial representation of the Mongolian people who had become too Chinese due to their lack of culture. The artistic expression of the Chinese painters was to convey messages and information that they hoped for or wished association with them. Northern sung emperors received information based on auspicious signs, to an extent of accepting pictorial representation of objects that were not presentable. Zhao mostly viewed as one of the inter-dynasty painter and calligrapher gave a pictorial representation of the Chinese people (Michael 217). In summary, Chinese art established itself many years ago and perfection remained as one of the improvements. Zhao one of the most established Chinese painters together with Yuan gave art several dimensions in arts. Comparing the several paintings explains how Chinese arts have grown from the 10th century up to now. The inter-dynasty painters and calligraphers ensured that culture and painting techniques moved from one generation to another. Chinese history conservation mostly carried out in the past and still at the present, still embraced. Works cited Michael, Sullivan. The Arts of China. Carlifornia : University of Carlifornia Press, 1984.Print Wen, Fong and Watt James. A landscape by Zhao Mengfu. Yuan dynasty: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1996.Print William, Watson and Ho Chumei. The Arts of China. Yale: Yale University Press, 2007.Print Read More